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Chapter no 6 โ€“ Scary Stories

Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)

As I sat in my room, trying to concentrate on the third act of Macbeth, I was really listening for my truck. I would have thought, even over the pounding rain, I could have heard the engineโ€™s roar. But when I went to peek out the curtain โ€” again โ€” it was suddenly there.

I wasnโ€™t looking forward to Friday, and it more than lived up to my non-expectations.

Of course there were the fainting comments. Jessica especially seemed to get a kick out of that story. Luckily Mike had kept his mouth shut, and no one seemed to know about Edwardโ€™s involvement. She did have a lot of questions about lunch, though.

โ€œSo what did Edward Cullen want yesterday?โ€ Jessica asked in Trig.

โ€œI donโ€™t know,โ€ I answered truthfully. โ€œHe never really got to the point.โ€ โ€œYou looked kind of mad,โ€ she fished.

โ€œDid I?โ€ I kept my expression blank.

โ€œYou know, Iโ€™ve never seen him sit with anyone but his family before. That was weird.โ€

โ€œWeird,โ€ I agreed. She seemed annoyed; she flipped her dark curls impatiently โ€” I guessed sheโ€™d been hoping to hear something that would make a good story for her to pass on.

The worst part about Friday was that, even though I knew he wasnโ€™t going to be there, I still hoped. When I walked into the cafeteria with Jessica and Mike, I couldnโ€™t keep from looking at his table, where Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper sat talking, heads close together.

And I couldnโ€™t stop the gloom that engulfed me as I realized I didnโ€™t know how long I would have to wait before I saw him again.

At my usual table, everyone was full of our plans for the next day. Mike was animated again, putting a great deal of trust in the local weatherman who promised sun tomorrow.

Iโ€™d have to see that before I believed it. But it was warmer today โ€” almost sixty. Maybe the outing wouldnโ€™t be completely miserable.

I intercepted a few unfriendly glances from Lauren during lunch, which I didnโ€™t understand until we were all walking out of the room together. I was right behind her, just a foot from her slick, silver blond hair, and she was evidently unaware of that.

โ€œโ€ฆdonโ€™t know why Bellaโ€ โ€” she sneered my name โ€” โ€œdoesnโ€™t just sit with the Cullens from now on.โ€

I heard her muttering to Mike. Iโ€™d never noticed what an unpleasant, nasal voice she had, and I was surprised by the malice in it. I really didnโ€™t know her well at all, certainly not well enough for her to dislike me โ€” or so Iโ€™d thought. โ€œSheโ€™s my friend; she sits with us,โ€ Mike whispered back loyally, but also a bit territorially. I paused to let Jess and Angela pass me. I didnโ€™t want to hear any more.

That night at dinner, Charlie seemed enthusiastic about my trip to La Push in the morning. I think he felt guilty for leaving me home alone on the weekends, but heโ€™d spent too many years building his habits to break them now. Of course he knew the names of all the kids going, and their parents, and their great-grandparents, too, probably. He seemed to approve. I wondered if he would approve of my plan to ride to Seattle with Edward Cullen. Not that I was going to tell him.

โ€œDad, do you know a place called Goat Rocks or something like that? I think itโ€™s south of Mount Rainier,โ€ I asked casually.

โ€œYeah โ€” why?โ€

I shrugged. โ€œSome kids were talking about camping there.โ€

โ€œItโ€™s not a very good place for camping.โ€ He sounded surprised.โ€ Too many bears. Most people go there during the hunting season.โ€

โ€œOh,โ€ I murmured. โ€œMaybe I got the name wrong.โ€

I meant to sleep in, but an unusual brightness woke me. I opened my eyes to see a clear yellow light streaming through my window. I couldnโ€™t believe it. I hurried to the window to check, and sure enough, there was the sun. It was in the wrong place in the sky, too low, and it didnโ€™t seem to be as close as it should be, but it was definitely the sun. Clouds ringed the horizon, but a large patch of blue was visible in the middle. I lingered by the window as long as I could, afraid that if I left the blue would disappear again.

The Newtons โ€˜ Olympic Outfitters store was just north of town. Iโ€™d seen the store, but Iโ€™d never stopped there โ€” not having much need for any supplies required for being outdoors over an extended period of time. In the parking lot I recognized Mikeโ€™s Suburban and Tylerโ€™s Sentra. As I pulled up next to their vehicles, I could see the group standing around in front of the Suburban. Eric was there, along with two other boys I had class with; I was fairly sure their names were Ben and Conner. Jess was there, flanked by Angela and Lauren. Three other girls stood with them, including one I remembered falling over in Gym on Friday. That one gave me a dirty look as I got out of the truck, and whispered something to Lauren. Lauren shook out her cornsilk hair and eyed me scornfully.

So it was going to be one of those days. At least Mike was happy to see me.

โ€œYou came!โ€ he called, delighted. โ€œAnd I said it would be sunny today, didnโ€™t I?โ€

โ€œI told you I was coming,โ€ I reminded him.

โ€œWeโ€™re just waiting for Lee and Samanthaโ€ฆ unless you invited someone,โ€ Mike added.

โ€œNope,โ€ I lied lightly, hoping I wouldnโ€™t get caught in the lie. But also wishing that a miracle would occur, and Edward would appear.

Mike looked satisfied.

โ€œWill you ride in my car? Itโ€™s that or Leeโ€™s momโ€™s minivan.โ€ โ€œSure.โ€

He smiled blissfully. It was so easy to make Mike happy.

โ€œYou can have shotgun,โ€ he promised. I hid my chagrin. It wasnโ€™t as simple to make Mike and Jessica happy at the same time. I could see Jessica glowering at us now.

The numbers worked out in my favor, though. Lee brought two extra people, and suddenly every seat was necessary. I managed to wedge Jess in between Mike and me in the front seat of the Suburban. Mike could have been more graceful about it, but at least Jess seemed appeased.

It was only fifteen miles to La Push from Forks, with gorgeous, dense green forests edging the road most of the way and the wide Quillayute River snaking beneath it twice. I was glad I had the window seat. Weโ€™d rolled the windows down โ€” the Suburban was a bit claustrophobic with nine people in it โ€” and I tried to absorb as much sunlight as possible.

Iโ€™d been to the beaches around La Push many times during my Forks summers with Charlie, so the mile-long crescent of First Beach was familiar to me. It was still breathtaking. The water was dark gray, even in the sunlight, white-capped and heaving to the gray, rocky shore. Islands rose out of the steel harbor waters with sheer cliff sides, reaching to uneven summits, and crowned with austere, soaring firs. The beach had only a thin border of actual sand at the waterโ€™s edge, after which it grew into millions of large, smooth stones that looked uniformly gray from a distance, but close up were every shade a stone could be: terra-cotta, sea green, lavender, blue gray, dull gold. The tide line was strewn with huge driftwood trees, bleached bone white in the salt waves, some piled together against the edge of the forest fringe, some lying solitary, just out of reach of the waves.

There was a brisk wind coming off the waves, cool and briny. Pelicans floated on the swells while seagulls and a lone eagle wheeled above them. The clouds still circled the sky, threatening to invade at any moment, but for now the sun shone bravely in its halo of blue sky.

We picked our way down to the beach, Mike leading the way to a ring of driftwood logs that had obviously been used for parties like ours before. There was a fire circle already in place, filled with black ashes. Eric and the boy I thought was named Ben gathered broken branches of driftwood from the drier piles against the forest edge, and soon had a teepee-shaped construction built atop the old cinders.

โ€œHave you ever seen a driftwood fire?โ€ Mike asked me. I was sitting on one of the bone-colored benches; the other girls clustered, gossiping excitedly, on either side of me.

Mike kneeled by the fire, lighting one of the smaller sticks with a cigarette lighter.

โ€œNo,โ€ I said as he placed the blazing twig carefully against the teepee.

โ€œYouโ€™ll like this then โ€” watch the colors.โ€ He lit another small branch and laid it alongside the first. The flames started to lick quickly up the dry wood.

โ€œItโ€™s blue,โ€ I said in surprise.

โ€œThe salt does it. Pretty, isnโ€™t it?โ€ He lit one more piece, placed it where the fire hadnโ€™t yet caught, and then came to sit by me. Thankfully, Jess was on his other side. She turned to him and claimed his attention. I watched the strange blue and green flames crackle toward the sky.

After a half hour of chatter, some of the boys wanted to hike to the nearby tidal pools. It was a dilemma. On the one hand, I loved the tide pools. They had fascinated me since I was a child; they were one of the only things I ever looked forward to when I had to come to Forks. On the other hand, Iโ€™d also fallen into them a lot. Not a big deal when youโ€™re seven and with your dad. It reminded me of Edwardโ€™s request โ€” that I not fall into the ocean.

Lauren was the one who made my decision for me. She didnโ€™t want to hike, and she was definitely wearing the wrong shoes for it. Most of the other girls besides Angela and Jessica decided to stay on the beach as well. I waited until Tyler and Eric had committed to remaining with them before I got up quietly to join the pro-hiking group. Mike gave me a huge smile when he saw that I was coming.

The hike wasnโ€™t too long, though I hated to lose the sky in the woods. The green light of the forest was strangely at odds with the adolescent laughter, too murky and ominous to be in harmony with the light banter around me. I had to watch each step I took very carefully, avoiding roots below and branches above, and I soon fell behind. Eventually I broke through the emerald confines of the forest and found the rocky shore again. It was low tide, and a tidal river flowed past us on its way to the sea. Along its pebbled banks, shallow pools that never completely drained were teeming with life.

I was very cautious not to lean too far over the little ocean ponds. The others were fearless, leaping over the rocks, perching precariously on the edges. I found a very stable-looking rock on the fringe of one of the largest pools and sat there cautiously, spellbound by the natural aquarium below me. The bouquets of brilliant anemones undulated ceaselessly in the invisible current, twisted shells scurried about the edges, obscuring the crabs within them, starfish stuck motionless to the rocks and each other, while one small black eel with white racing stripes wove through the bright green weeds, waiting for the sea to return. I was completely absorbed, except for one small part of my mind that wondered what Edward was doing now, and trying to imagine what he would be saying if he were here with me.

Finally the boys were hungry, and I got up stiffly to follow them back. I tried to keep up better this time through the woods, so naturally I fell a few times. I got some shallow scrapes on my palms, and the knees of my jeans were stained green, but it could have been worse.

When we got back to First Beach, the group weโ€™d left behind had multiplied. As we got closer we could see the shining, straight black hair and copper skin of the newcomers, teenagers from the reservation come to socialize.

The food was already being passed around, and the boys hurried to claim a share while Eric introduced us as we each entered the driftwood circle. Angela and I were the last to arrive, and, as Eric said our names, I noticed a younger boy sitting on the stones near the fire glance up at me in interest. I sat down next to Angela, and Mike brought us sandwiches and an array of sodas to choose from, while a boy who looked to be the oldest of the visitors rattled off the names of the seven others with him. All I caught was that one of the girls was also named Jessica, and the boy who noticed me was named Jacob.

It was relaxing to sit with Angela; she was a restful kind of person to be around โ€” she didnโ€™t feel the need to fill every silence with chatter. She left me free to think undisturbed while we ate. And I was thinking about how disjointedly time seemed to flow in Forks, passing in a blur at times, with single images standing out more clearly than others. And then, at other times, every second was significant, etched in my mind. I knew exactly what caused the difference, and it disturbed me.

During lunch the clouds started to advance, slinking across the blue sky, darting in front of the sun momentarily, casting long shadows across the beach, and blackening the waves. As they finished eating, people started to drift away in twos and threes. Some walked down to the edge of the waves, trying to skip rocks across the choppy surface.

Others were gathering a second expedition to the tide pools. Mike โ€” with Jessica shadowing him โ€” headed up to the one shop in the village. Some of the local kids went with them; others went along on the hike. By the time they all had scattered, I was sitting alone on my driftwood log, with Lauren and Tyler occupying themselves by the CD

player someone had thought to bring, and three teenagers from the reservation perched around the circle, including the boy named Jacob and the oldest boy who had acted as spokesperson.

A few minutes after Angela left with the hikers, Jacob sauntered over to take her place by my side. He looked fourteen, maybe fifteen, and had long, glossy black hair pulled back with a rubber band at the nape of his neck. His skin was beautiful, silky and russet-colored; his eyes were dark, set

deep above the high planes of his cheekbones. He still had just a hint of childish roundness left around his chin. Altogether, a very pretty face.

However, my positive opinion of his looks was damaged by the first words out of his mouth.

โ€œYouโ€™re Isabella Swan, arenโ€™t you?โ€

It was like the first day of school all over again. โ€œBella,โ€ I sighed.

โ€œIโ€™m Jacob Black.โ€ He held his hand out in a friendly gesture. โ€œYou bought my dadโ€™s truck.โ€

โ€œOh,โ€ I said, relieved, shaking his sleek hand. โ€œYouโ€™re Billyโ€™s son. I probably should remember you.โ€

โ€œNo, Iโ€™m the youngest of the family โ€” you would remember my older sisters.โ€

โ€œRachel and Rebecca,โ€ I suddenly recalled. Charlie and Billy had thrown us together a lot during my visits, to keep us busy while they fished. We were all too shy to make much progress as friends. Of course, Iโ€™d kicked up enough tantrums to end the fishing trips by the time I was eleven.

โ€œAre they here?โ€ I examined the girls at the oceanโ€™s edge, wondering if I would recognize them now.

โ€œNo.โ€ Jacob shook his head. โ€œRachel got a scholarship to Washington State, and Rebecca married a Samoan surfer โ€” she lives in Hawaii now.โ€

โ€œMarried. Wow.โ€ I was stunned. The twins were only a little over a year older than I was.

โ€œSo how do you like the truck?โ€ he asked. โ€œI love it. It runs great.โ€

โ€œYeah, but itโ€™s really slow,โ€ he laughed. โ€œI was so relived when Charlie bought it. My dad wouldnโ€™t let me work on building another car when we had a perfectly good vehicle right there.โ€

โ€œItโ€™s not that slow,โ€ I objected.

โ€œHave you tried to go over sixty?โ€ โ€œNo,โ€ I admitted.

โ€œGood. Donโ€™t.โ€ He grinned.

I couldnโ€™t help grinning back. โ€œIt does great in a collision,โ€ I offered in my truckโ€™s defense.

โ€œI donโ€™t think a tank could take out that old monster,โ€ he agreed with another laugh.

โ€œSo you build cars?โ€ I asked, impressed.

โ€œWhen I have free time, and parts. You wouldnโ€™t happen to know where I could get my hands on a master cylinder for a 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit?โ€ he added jokingly. He had a pleasant, husky voice.

โ€œSorry,โ€ I laughed, โ€œI havenโ€™t seen any lately, but Iโ€™ll keep my eyes open for you.โ€ As if I knew what that was. He was very easy to talk with.

He flashed a brilliant smile, looking at me appreciatively in a way I was learning to recognize. I wasnโ€™t the only one who noticed.

โ€œYou know Bella, Jacob?โ€ Lauren asked โ€” in what I imagined was an insolent tone โ€”from across the fire.

โ€œWeโ€™ve sort of known each other since I was born,โ€ he laughed, smiling at me again.

โ€œHow nice.โ€ She didnโ€™t sound like she thought it was nice at all, and her pale, fishy eyes narrowed.

โ€œBella,โ€ she called again, watching my face carefully, โ€œI was just saying to Tyler that it was too bad none of the Cullens could come out today. Didnโ€™t anyone think to invite them?โ€ Her expression of concern was unconvincing.

โ€œYou mean Dr. Carlisle Cullenโ€™s family?โ€ the tall, older boy asked before I could respond, much to Laurenโ€™s irritation. He was really closer to a man than a boy, and his voice was very deep.

โ€œYes, do you know them?โ€ she asked condescendingly, turning halfway toward him.

โ€œThe Cullens donโ€™t come here,โ€ he said in a tone that closed the subject, ignoring her question.

Tyler, trying to win back her attention, asked Laurenโ€™s opinion on a CD he held. She was distracted.

I stared at the deep-voiced boy, taken aback, but he was looking away toward the dark forest behind us. Heโ€™d said that the Cullens didnโ€™t come here, but his tone had implied something more โ€” that they werenโ€™t allowed; they were prohibited. His manner left a strange impression on me, and I tried to ignore it without success.

Jacob interrupted my meditation. โ€œSo is Forks driving you insane yet?โ€

โ€œOh, Iโ€™d say thatโ€™s an understatement.โ€ I grimaced. He grinned understandingly.

I was still turning over the brief comment on the Cullens, and I had a sudden inspiration. It was a stupid plan, but I didnโ€™t have any better ideas. I hoped that young Jacob was as yet inexperienced around girls, so that he wouldnโ€™t see through my sure-to-be-pitiful attempts at flirting.

โ€œDo you want to walk down the beach with me?โ€ I asked, trying to imitate that way Edward had of looking up from underneath his eyelashes. It couldnโ€™t have nearly the same effect, I was sure, but Jacob jumped up willingly enough.

As we walked north across the multihued stones toward the driftwood seawall, the clouds finally closed ranks across the sky, causing the sea to darken and the temperature to drop. I shoved my hands deep into the pockets of my jacket.

โ€œSo youโ€™re, what, sixteen?โ€ I asked, trying not to look like an idiot as I fluttered my eyelids the way Iโ€™d seen girls do on TV.

โ€œI just turned fifteen,โ€ he confessed, flattered.

โ€œReally?โ€ My face was full of false surprise. โ€œI would have thought you were older.โ€

โ€œIโ€™m tall for my age,โ€ he explained.

โ€œDo you come up to Forks much?โ€ I asked archly, as if I was hoping for a yes. I sounded idiotic to myself. I was afraid he would turn on me with disgust and accuse me of my fraud, but he still seemed flattered.

โ€œNot too much,โ€ he admitted with a frown. โ€œBut when I get my car finished I can go up as much as I want โ€” after I get my license,โ€ he amended.

โ€œWho was that other boy Lauren was talking to? He seemed a little old to be hanging out with us.โ€ I purposefully lumped myself in with the youngsters, trying to make it clear that I preferred Jacob.

โ€œThatโ€™s Sam โ€” heโ€™s nineteen,โ€ he informed me.

โ€œWhat was that he was saying about the doctorโ€™s family?โ€ I asked innocently.

โ€œThe Cullens? Oh, theyโ€™re not supposed to come onto the reservation.โ€ He looked away, out toward James Island, as he confirmed what Iโ€™d thought Iโ€™d heard in Samโ€™s voice.

โ€œWhy not?โ€

He glanced back at me, biting his lip. โ€œOops. Iโ€™m not supposed to say anything about that.โ€

โ€œOh, I wonโ€™t tell anyone, Iโ€™m just curious.โ€ I tried to make my smile alluring, wondering if I was laying it on too thick.

He smiled back, though, looking allured. Then he lifted one eyebrow and his voice was even huskier than before.

โ€œDo you like scary stories?โ€ he asked ominously.

โ€œI love them,โ€ I enthused, making an effort to smolder at him.

Jacob strolled to a nearby driftwood tree that had its roots sticking out like the attenuated legs of a huge, pale spider. He perched lightly on one of the twisted roots while I sat beneath him on the body of the tree. He stared down at the rocks, a smile hovering around the edges of his broad lips. I could see he was going to try to make this good. I focused on keeping the vital interest I felt out of my eyes.

โ€œDo you know any of our old stories, about where we came from โ€” the Quileutes, I mean?โ€ he began.

โ€œNot really,โ€ I admitted.

โ€œWell, there are lots of legends, some of them claiming to date back to the Flood โ€”supposedly, the ancient Quileutes tied their canoes to the tops of the tallest trees on the mountain to survive like Noah and the ark.โ€ He smiled, to show me how little stock he put in the histories. โ€œAnother legend claims that we descended from wolves โ€” and that the wolves are our brothers still. Itโ€™s against tribal law to kill them.

โ€œThen there are the stories about the cold ones.โ€ His voice dropped a little lower.

โ€œThe cold ones?โ€ I asked, not faking my intrigue now.

โ€œYes. There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land.โ€ He rolled his eyes.

โ€œYour great-grandfather?โ€ I encouraged.

โ€œHe was a tribal elder, like my father. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolfโ€”well, not the wolf, really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors.

You would call them werewolves.โ€ โ€œWerewolves have enemies?โ€

โ€œOnly one.โ€

I stared at him earnestly, hoping to disguise my impatience as admiration.

โ€œSo you see,โ€ Jacob continued, โ€œthe cold ones are traditionally our enemies. But this pack that came to our territory during my great-grandfatherโ€™s time was different. They didnโ€™t hunt the way others of their kind did โ€” they werenโ€™t supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldnโ€™t expose them to the pale-faces.โ€ He winked at me.

โ€œIf they werenโ€™t dangerous, then whyโ€ฆ ?โ€I tried to understand, struggling not to let him see how seriously I was considering his ghost story.

โ€œThereโ€™s always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones, even if theyโ€™re civilized like this clan was. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist.โ€ He deliberately worked a thick edge of menace into his tone.

โ€œWhat do you mean, โ€˜civilizedโ€™?โ€

โ€œThey claimed that they didnโ€™t hunt humans. They supposedly were somehow able to prey on animals instead.โ€

I tried to keep my voice casual. โ€œSo how does it fit in with the Cullens ? Are they like the cold ones your great grandfather met?โ€

โ€œNo.โ€ He paused dramatically. โ€œThey are the same ones.โ€

He must have thought the expression on my face was fear inspired by his story. He smiled, pleased, and continued.

โ€œThere are more of them now, a new female and a new male, but the rest are the same.

In my great-grandfatherโ€™s time they already knew of the leader, Carlisle. Heโ€™d been here and gone before your people had even arrived.โ€ He was fighting a smile.

โ€œAnd what are they?โ€ I finally asked. โ€œWhat are the cold ones?โ€ He smiled darkly.

โ€œBlood drinkers,โ€ he replied in a chilling voice. โ€œYour people call them vampires.โ€

I stared out at the rough surf after he answered, not sure what my face was exposing.

โ€œYou have goose bumps,โ€ he laughed delightedly.

โ€œYouโ€™re a good storyteller,โ€ I complimented him, still staring into the waves.

โ€œPretty crazy stuff, though, isnโ€™t it? No wonder my dad doesnโ€™t want us to talk about it to anyone.โ€

I couldnโ€™t control my expression enough to look at him yet. โ€œDonโ€™t worry, I wonโ€™t give you away.โ€

โ€œI guess I just violated the treaty,โ€ he laughed.

โ€œIโ€™ll take it to the grave,โ€ I promised, and then I shivered.

โ€œSeriously, though, donโ€™t say anything to Charlie. He was pretty mad at my dad when he heard that some of us werenโ€™t going to the hospital since Dr. Cullen started working there.โ€

โ€œI wonโ€™t, of course not.โ€

โ€œSo do you think weโ€™re a bunch of superstitious natives or what?โ€ he asked in a playful tone, but with a hint of worry. I still hadnโ€™t looked away from the ocean.

I turned and smiled at him as normally as I could.

โ€œNo. I think youโ€™re very good at telling scary stories, though. I still have goose bumps, see?โ€ I held up my arm.

โ€œCool.โ€ He smiled.

And then the sound of the beach rocks clattering against each other warned us that someone was approaching. Our heads snapped up at the same time to see Mike and Jessica about fifty yards away, walking toward us.

โ€œThere you are, Bella,โ€ Mike called in relief, waving his arm over his head.

โ€œIs that your boyfriend?โ€ Jacob asked, alerted by the jealous edge in Mikeโ€™s voice. I was surprised it was so obvious.

โ€œNo, definitely not,โ€ I whispered. I was tremendously grateful to Jacob, and eager to make him as happy as possible. I winked at him, carefully turning away from Mike to do so. He smiled, elated by my inept flirting.

โ€œSo when I get my licenseโ€ฆโ€ he began.

โ€œYou should come see me in Forks. We could hang out sometime.โ€ I felt guilty as I said this, knowing that Iโ€™d used him. But I really did like Jacob. He was someone I could easily be friends with.

Mike had reached us now, with Jessica still a few paces back. I could see his eyes appraising Jacob, and looking satisfied at his obvious youth.

โ€œWhere have you been?โ€ he asked, though the answer was right in front of him.

โ€œJacob was just telling me some local stories,โ€ I volunteered. โ€œIt was really interesting.โ€

I smiled at Jacob warmly, and he grinned back.

โ€œWell,โ€ Mike paused, carefully reassessing the situation as he watched our camaraderie.

โ€œWeโ€™re packing up โ€” it looks like itโ€™s going to rain soon.โ€

We all looked up at the glowering sky. It certainly did look like rain. โ€œOkay.โ€ I jumped up. โ€œIโ€™m coming.โ€

โ€œIt was nice to see you again,โ€ Jacob said, and I could tell he was taunting Mike just a bit.

โ€œIt really was. Next time Charlie comes down to see Billy, Iโ€™ll come, too,โ€ I promised.

His grin stretched across his face. โ€œThat would be cool.โ€ โ€œAnd thanks,โ€ I added earnestly.

I pulled up my hood as we tramped across the rocks toward the parking lot. A few drops were beginning to fall, making black spots on the stones where they landed. When we got to the Suburban the others were already loading everything back in. I crawled into the backseat by Angela and Tyler, announcing that Iโ€™d already had my turn in the shotgun position. Angela just stared out the window at the escalating storm, and Lauren twisted around in the middle seat to occupy Tyler โ€˜s attention, so I could simply lay my head back on the seat and close my eyes and try very hard not to think.

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